Burial-vault.



PTNTED JA. 2. 3.908.

W. G. LABGHLE.

l BUMAL www. APPLICATION FILED MAY 23,1907.

animan c. ...incirca or einoAGo, ILLINOIS.

BURIAL-VAULT.

No. smoes.

Specification ci :Letters atent.

y, racentednm. 2'1, 190s.

Applicant ned May 2s. 1907 seen No. 375.294.

To all whom 'it ma/ concern:

Be it known that l, WILLIAM C. LAEGHLE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stat-cof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Iinprnvements inBurial-, Vaults; and l do hereby declare that the'x following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which forma part of this specification.

This inventionl relates to improvements lin burial vaults, moreparticularly in a burial vault doncstructed of armored concrete.

The object of this' invention is to provide first a construction ofgreat strengtl'i relative to its weight, and in which the metal is usedto enable `:the walls to be constructed of minimum thickness, andprovided with a cover which not only serves the usual pur )ose but alsoaffords a reinforced interior shou der o'r 'brace adapted to resist thecrushing inward yof the side nails, $1ine to the pressure o'f the earthagainst the same.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a construction in whichthe cover when in place is sealed and looked by reinforcing connectionsto aiord in fact a unitary construction of the vault and cover.

It is also an object of the invention to afford in connection with thereinforcing means for the cover, oentrallydis' osed loops or eyeswhereby the cover may e handled and kto provide at the top of the box orcase an increased thickness ermitting a longitudinal groove' or channeto be formed therein to receive the reinforcement of the cover and toengage'the same in place by suitable cementing material.

Itis finallywan object of the invention to provide a burial vault orcase im ervious to moisture and air if desired, of tne greatest possiblestrength and durability, with slight weight and at a price su'icientlycheap to general intraduction and use of the same.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter deiined and more fullypointed out in the appended claims.

As shown n1 the drawings: Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section ofa deviceem bodying my invention. Fig. 21:' is a transverse sectionthereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view partly in section to illustratethe reinforcing metallic skeleton In said drawings: The box or caseshown is rectangular and monolithic consisting of molded concrete, andcom rises a bottom A, 'side walls o and end wa ls a', embedded in whichis a reinforcing skeleton of steel bars or rods which as shown in Fig. 3comprises first a bar B rectangular in cross section which is bent toextend entirely around the bottom near the outer Wall affording areinforeement-bothfor the sides and ends of the bottom. Intermediate theside bars B are longitudinal bars, B similar thereto, the ends of whichare bent upwardly around the end bars l to form 'the reinforcingvertical end bars b.- /Any desired vnumber of said intermediate bars mayof course be emloyed. Transverse bars Bs are providedv 1n any desirednumber the ends of which outsidethe side bars B, are bent u ivardly 7 toafford lthe side reinforcing bars Zwhich correspond with the end bars b.These extend to near the top of the box. Said bottom, side and end wallsare relatively thin and said side and end Walls at their top areincreased in thickness outwardly to afford a groove extending inthe topthereof downwardly, or, if preferred a succession of sockets, and asshown the portion of `the side and end walls thus built and extendedoutwardly beyond said groove or sockets is rf-inforced. by a bar or rodB3 which extends around the' sides and ends of the case on the outerside of said end and side4 bars SV W. The cover C is also of relativelythin molded concrete reinforced by rods or bars similarv to those beforedescribed. Said cover as shown is arched upwardly both ,longitudinallyandrtransversely ind is shaped at its ends and edges to rest nat uponthe side and end walls of the' case and to afford a shoulder c whichfits within the side and end walls bracing the same against inwardcrushing pressure.

As shown a reinforcing' bar or rod I9 is bent to afi' ord thereinforcement for fthe s'de and cnl shoulders c and as shown is em#bedded' in said shoulder below the top of the box. Extending also,longitudinally of the cover are reinforcing hars D and `D2 ,of 1 whichbar D2 is located at or near the longitudinal center of the coverand thebars 1) between the saine and the edges of the cover. The bar D as shownis en.: bedded in said cover for its entire length with the exception ofil s er treinities, which are bent downwardly through the flatporreception of the casket, the cover is lowered or said sockets.

tion of the margins oi the cover and. extend into the groove or thesockets in the end walls. .'ihe longitudinal bars or rods D are lbentdownwardly at their ends and bear against the end bars d in the endshoulders ot the cover. 'Transverse reinforcing bars DTL-I)4 areprovided in any desired number in said cover as shown extending over thebars D and D2 and arched to conform to the shape of. the cover. The barsD3 extend over the bars D-D2 and at 'their extremities also protrudethrough the iiat margin of the cover to engage in said groovevvIntermediate the bars D3 and also near each end of the cover the barsD4 extend 'over the bars D and D2 as before described to abut againstthe reinforcing bars D in the4 and the ends thereof are directeddownwardly the same and also loops or eyes E are secured on thereinforcing bar B5 at each end and project outwardly to enable the vaultto be handled either before or after sealing the same.

The operation is obvious from the "toregoing description. When the caseor vault is to be closed permanently as after the `to place and liquidcement of any suitable kind is poured into the groove in the Wallsfilling t e same, and lowing around the downturned ends of thereinforcing bars ofV the cover and also eflectually sealing the coverfor its entire length' to the top of the case thus forming a burial caseor vault and its cover, monolithic in character. Any suitable imperviouspaint may be used on the inner or both the innervand the outer walls ofthe cover and the box to hermetically seal the casket within its vault.From the construction described, bodies so interred are preserved freefrom any destructive agencies from the surrounding soil and lfromexternal moisture and that with the use of a burial case such asdescribed the grave is electually protected from desecra- A tion.Furthermore the construction is such that ordinary earth pressurescannot crush the case, and vaults so constructed will protect theremains to remote future time.

smoes Of course, any external embellishment or ornamentation may be usedir' desired, and the reinforcing materials used may be somewhat varied.I therefore do not purpose limiting this application for patentotherwise than necessitated by the prior art as details of constructionmay be varied without departing from the principles'o this invention.

I claim as my invention:

l. A burial case or vault comprising a monolithic concrete box and aAconcrete cover, the cover having a iiat marginal face to rest on thetop of the box, an inner shoulder on the cover fitting closely aroundthe inner side' of the side and end walls of the box, a reinorc'ng-barof metal embedded in said shouldfr Aandy extending continuously aroundthe sides and thel ends of the cover, reinforcinor fibars or rodsextending transversely and longitudinally ofthe cover, some of whichbear against said reinforcing marginal bar in said shoulder andreinforcing bars embedded in the concrete 'extending longitudinally and,transversely of the bottom of the box and their ends extending upwardlyin the Walls of the box.

` 2. Al burial case. or vault comprising a monolithic box andiri cover,the cover having a ilat margine-llistes to rest on the top of the box,an inner shoulder on the cover iii ting closely around the inner side oftheside und end Walls of the box, a reinforcing` bar oljmetal embeddedin said shoulder and extending continuously around the sides and theendsoi the co\ er, reinforcing bars or rods extending transversely andlongitudinally oi' the cover, some 'of which bear against saidreinforcing marginal bar `in said shoulder and the ends of the remainingbars engaging in the walls of the box to lock the cover in place. f

3. A burial case or vault comprising a monolithic concrete -box havingthe walls at the to increased "in thickness and'provided wit 1 a groove,a reinforcing bar in the thickened top extending therearound outside ofthe groove, transverse and longitudinal reinforcing bars in the bottomof the box having the ends directed vertically extending into andreinforcing the walls of the box, a concrete cover andreiniorcing barstherein having theextrernities extend ing beyond the margins of thecover ,into the groove. l

In testimony whereof I have hereulnto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

.WILLIAM C. LAECIILE.

Witnesses:

K. E.HANN,AH, J. W. ANGELL.

